Posts

Point Pelee 12/05/26

-
Image
There were good numbers of waders at the tip at 6:30, especially Turnstones, plus a feeding flock of gulls and terns just offshore. An adult Bald Eagle sat on the beach at the far end. Migrant passerines were generally low in numbers in the adjacent woodland. However, one of the birds that I watched particularly caught my attention as it sported an obvious white eyering and a bluish-grey head. Add to that two white wing-bars, yellowish flanks, and a white belly, all the id features for Blue-headed Vireo. Unfortunately the bird mainly stayed high up in trees, unlike a nearby Black-throated Blue Warbler which was seen at ground level. Later I made another visit to Delaurier Homestead where the Green Heron was seen at close range, and Common Yellowthroat were more obliging than they usually are. Whilst there I learnt that an Ash-throated Flycatcher was still present near the Dunes, so I left the homestead sooner than planned. The area for the flycatcher was a 15 minute walk along a permis...
Post a Comment
Read more

Point Pelee 11/05/26

-
Image
I left early this morning to get to the tip by 6.30. Weather conditions weren't exactly conducive to a significant fall, with clear skies and a northerly wind, and it was no surprise to find fewer birders there today. Nevertheless, there was a sprinkling of warblers, including Blackburnian, Black and White, and Blue-winged, though sadly I didn't get on to the latter in time. Several Eastern Kingbirds were present, though best of all was a female Scarlet Tanager, which had me scratching my head for a while as to it's id. Later in the morning I walked the Woodland Trail which leads back to the visitor centre. Part of this trail is a wetter, more open area, with some dead trees, and this was the most productive area today. The birds there included a couple of very obliging Prothonotary Warblers, one of which flew onto the path almost by my feet. There was a Great-horned Owl, though I would never have noticed it had not a fellow birder let me look through his 'scope. A coup...
Post a Comment
Read more

Point Pelee 9/05/26

-
Image
Being Saturday I decided to miss the tip today as I felt it would be extremely busy. Instead, I concentrated on areas north of the visitor centre, some I'd not been to before. To start with I walked the Tilden Trail, seeing Black-throated Green Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and a new bird for the trip, a Yellow-throated Vireo. The trail eventually led to the Cactus Field, a promising looking area of scrubby bushes and trees. I'd already heard that there was a Yellow-breasted Chat here, and what a show the bird gave, singing and perching in full view for minutes on end at not much more than head height. Nearby I found a female Eastern Bluebird, in rather muted colours.  Then I walked the path from Sleepy Hollow to Dunes, seeing a pair of Great Crested Flycatcher, and in tall trees by the parking lot both Blackburnian and Magnolia Warblers. They stayed high all the time and watching these was definitely a case of 'warbler neck'. The final visit was back to the Delaurier ...
Post a Comment
Read more